During an Annual Flow Test of a Fire Pump, the pump does not get to 150% of rated capacity. Did the Pump Test Fail?
The answer is…Flow at 150% is not a Pass/Fail criteria. If the pump does not deliver the 150% of rated capacity, what does NFPA 25 tell us? We start by looking at Chapter 8, which gives us the requirements for Inspection and Testing of Fire Pumps. What are some references to look at for this issue?
8.3.3 Annual Flow Testing look at 8.3.3.4 it addresses the possible issue of water suction supplies. It says: If available suction supplies do not allow flowing of 150 percent of the rated pump capacity, the fire pump shall be tested at flow rates at 100 percent of the rated pump flow rate, and at the maximum flow allowed at the lowest permissible suction pressure.
If the Suction Pressure is the issue for not reaching 150% what would make the test acceptable? Dig into Section 8.3.7.2.3 Evaluation of Fire Pump Test Results It’s in this section that we are able to determine how to quantify the test results.
Fire Pumps and their drivers are mechanical devices, and they need to be inspected, tested, and maintained. Over time, there will be issues that need to be addressed with these Fire Pump Systems. How do we effectively troubleshoot these challenges? It’s the process of educating ourselves with the purpose of understanding the “Why’s and the How’s” of Fire Pumps and their components.
Looking for training for your team? Reach out to me directly at rob@firetech.com
